Coming to no Harm
by braen
Summary: Conner is still trying to make his mind far from the Titans and perhaps Tim has too much to cope with to be understanding with his best friend. Don't worry. It's not as if the bad guys are going to let them solve it today. FINISHED!
1. Chapter 1

_I know my nightmares by heart._

_ Not that they are always alike... but the important part is always there. _

_Tonight's performance is full of details. The cemetary is grey and misty, and still I can see the names in all those graves: Karl Rank, Philmont Delinger, Young El, Diana Troy... and the rest are just a bunch of nameless tombstones... all dear Gotham Citicens... Dear Blüdhaven Citicens... Dear fathers, mothers, sons..._

_I walk through them with little interest. The fact I know is just a nightmare just make it weirder, because in the pitt of my stomach I know the worst is still to come. Yes, at the end of the line, the last three graves. One empty grave, two occupied. _

_Oh, yes... and there are they, Dad and Steph, angry at me because they are still dead while Darla Aquista is alive, because I had let them die and now, knowing there is a chance, I let them down and buried, because I am not willing to give my life to make them live..._

There was where I screamed and woke up. There was where I thanked god the Titans tower was so huge it allowed a single room for each one of us. There was where I decided against another row of bad conscience, self-pity and ugly dreams and left my room, heading to the gym.

No, I didn't even checked the hour. What for? I was a night creature, after all. By the light at the horizon I had slept at least four or five hours, wich only meant I was losing practice and becoming a sleepy bag.

The empty and silent halls relaxed me. It figures. I just had had a nightmare and the darkness and stillness of the tower at night gave me reasurance. It was just me and the shadows, just me and the emptyness... it felt quite at home.

Perhaps that's why I didn't raise the alarm when I noticed something was wrong. That homely feeling. Home, where I am alone, where I act alone, where I fight alone. So I just put on my mask and merged myself with the all conceiling shadows, sensing the wall behind me and listening for every unbelonging noise.

After I while I began to suspect I was being paranoid. Too many bounty hunters trying to kill you can make you feel a little on the edge, and that was the T Tower, for god's sake! So I relaxed, but I still let the mask on. Yes, we, paranoids, are this weird.

Then it hit me.

A fist.

I rolled as I fell, allowing my self to stand up really quickly, trying not to think on the noise ringing in my poor banged head, and turned, facing the intruder.

"You?"

We said it at the same time, wich always gives a kind of comical touch to this stupid situations.

Conner was there, looking slightly ashamed. Well, he should be. My head was gonna hurt like hell!

"I'm the one who should be surprised, Con." I said alowing my creepy paranoid self to stand back, my temples throwing me alarm signals about their poor condition. "What the hell are you doing here, hiding in the shadows, in the middle of the night?"

"And you?"

"I am supossed to be here, you don't." I didn't intend to sound that harsh, really, but I was still cheking my jaw.

"That's not..."

"You know what I mean, so please... just..."

Con sighed, shifting his wheight from one foot to the other like a repenant child.

"I couldn't sleep... and I missed you guys...so I though I could come and check... not really staying..."

"Yeah, sure.. at... -I finally checked the time- four a.m."

Con avoided my gaze.

"Oh, man! You've been here all this time!"

"Not **_all_** this time... just since... one a.m." I snorted. I didn't meant to, but I did. "Hey, it's not that pathetic!"

"I haven't said so."

"But you make it sound like it is."

"Con, I'm not..." I sighed. "Ok, yes, perhaps. It's what happens when you hang around with Batman too much, you loose your social skills."

Con smiled at that. He always smiled at my witty remarks about Batman. He hand't still heard any of the new ones.

"Look," I said, more relaxed finally. "I know how hard it is to wait until you feel it's the right time, and then, when you feel it... fearing it is not, because you are so eager it is... But stalking your friends is not going to make things easier" Con still looked ashamed. "Neither is punching them on the face. Come on, man! It's a joke. "

"It's not funny."

"It is, but my wit is beyond your reach" I took him by the arm, leading him to the kitchen. "Come on, SB, we both can use a soda and I can use some ice. And then perhaps you can tell me what's this thing bothering you, ok?"

Kon followed reluctantly, but followed nontheless. Wich was a relief, dragging a supe was not an easy task.

In the kitchen, as I said, we each picked a soda and I picked a bag of frozen beans, wich I pressed against my left side of the face.

"Does it hurt?" Asked Kon.

"Of course, it hurts."

"I don't know what to say..."

"Try: _I'm sorry for nearly breaking your Jaw, Tim, dude._" I said, dryly.

"But... of course I'm sorry!" Kon exploded, his cheecks redder than the S on his t-shirt.

So I had to soften myself. You cannot make your best friend fell ashamed for too long... during the first hour. The day after? New rules, totally. But I had tortured him enough for one single night.

"I know, I know" I said, with a smile. "Just teasing. So," I added, while I left the not-so-frozen-now bag of beans on the counter. "... you've been hanging around three hours? Without waking _me_ up?" I lost my smile then, realizing all of a sudden, while I saw him pretend to be drinking just to avoid my gaze. "You were not planning in waking any of us up, right? You weren't even waiting for any of us to wake up on our own."

"I hate when you play the detective with me." He said, not admiting, not denying...

"Sorry, it's kind of subconscious." Well, he had a point, hadn't he?

"I guess it's cool to be you, isn't it?"

"No, it's not and you know it" I tried to cout to ten, but, hell! I didn't even arrived at three. "You are the one that has been acting like a moron tonight, not me, ok? So don't get angry just because I happen to be more inteligent than you."

"Oh, That's it! Superboy is just a dumb bulk" Con left the can in the sink so furiosly he made a hole. "If that is what you think, why you let other people see you, Boy Wonder, with me, Boy Dumber? They'll think we are friends."

One... Two... Three...

I drank a sip from my can.

Four... five... six...

I took off the mask and passed a hand through my face.

Seven... eight... nine...

I finally look at Conner.

Ten.

"I never... never... never thought you are dumb, ok? It was just..." Count to ten again,Tim, you are lossing it. I sighed. "It's four a.m., you are stalking us in our sleep and all I wanted was to jump a little in the gym while I waited for the morning to came, so... either I'm still dreaming... or you are really troubled and that's why you are shouting at me in the Titans kitchen at fucking four a.m." I finally craked a smile. "Or you are Match again, of course."

Con sighed too, looking at the sink and then, looking at me. I realized he was also counting to ten... or something very similar at least, and I really had to restrain myself from laughing.

"It's like you said some minutes ago. I miss you, guys, and... well, I miss that "_saving the world once in a while_" thing too... but..."

"You are afraid of screwing it up. A reasonable fear."

"Have I mentioned I also hate when you finish my sentences?"

Problem was I had already deducted all of it, but, as he ahd just pointed out, it was kind of unpolite to tell him: "Hey, go straight to the point, I already know this". So I just mutered a "sorry" and waited for him to finish his terribly long sentences.

"Ok, just don't do it again." Conner sat at the counter, looking for words. "It's that Raven came to visit..."

"She did?" Well, that, at least, was unexpected.

"Yeah. To tell me I have a soul."

"I told you you had a soul" I said it without even realizing that I was thinking aloud. Not very smart on my behalf, uh?

"Well, yes... but you don't count. You are my friend."

"Of course. Don't let a heartfelt coment from me distract you from your grief. Better, let Raven and her creepy powers reasure you of your humanity."

"What's the matter with you?"

"Me? I'm not the one that is afraid of using the fine excuse Raven has placed in front of him. Ok, you have a soul. You already had one, if you ask me. You will always have. So? What's the difference if the thing you cannot face is the fact that half your DNA is Luthor's?"

Conner was over me so quickly that I actually gasped. One moment he was seated and the next he was pinning me against the wall.

"Yes, half my DNA is Luthor's. Yes, it scares the shit out of me. Yes, it's what is restraining me from coming back. Do you know why, oh, infinetely wise one?"

Luckily I was used to face really creepy villians, so I could hide my fear quite reasonably.

"Because you are afraid of hurting us" It was not a question.

"No, Bird Boy, because I already did." He let me go and turned, giving me his back. "I hurt you and Cassie really badly. I'm not only afraid of hurting you...I'm afraid of facing you."

"By _us_ you mean Cassie, don't you?"

He half turned and his blue eyes were scanning me, probably trying to guess my mood. I was trying to guess it too. I still felt mad at him, but didn't know exactly why. He probably still felt mad at me, because I was being a total jerk.

"Ok, so yes, that's the matter with me" He admited with a grunt, changing subject. "My legacy petrifies me. And you?"

"Me?"

"Yes, you. It's not very normal behavior to go to the gym to wait for the sun to rise."

He was learning. The damned clone was learning use his brains too.

"Now who's playing detective?" Con frowned, wich meant I had made it again. I sighed. "Look, Con, I dont' really want to fight you."

"Neither I, but you are not making it easy."

"I know."

"Then?"

I was going to answer -even if I still didn't know what-, when the alarm rose.

"Damn!" I said, picking the mask and putting it on. "Titans Alert! Let's go."

I made a movement, but Con stood still. Then I remembered.

"You were not waiting for any of us to wake. You feel you are not ready."

That was it. That was why I was mad at him. Because he was going to leave us again.

"Don't look at me that way, Tim. You, who respected Cissie's decision in so a grown up fashion... Don't you dare look at me that way."

Ok, I wouldn't.

So I averted my gaze.

"Do as you please, Conner Kent. But if you are not going to help, then go home. The Titan Tower is not place for a civilian."


	2. Chapter 2

II.-

When I arrived to the comunicator, Cyborg was already there. It didn't surprise me, but he did seem surprised to see me. I understood his surprise when the rest arrived, all wearing their costumes. Of course, I was still in my underwear.

"Hey, Rob", Beast Boy also noticed, so he had to point it out. "is your uniform in the laundry?"

"I... well..."

_"I was already up and in the kitchen_" was not so dificult to say, but, for some reason, I just didn't felt like let them know I was woken up by nightmares just to fight my best friend.

"Don't tease the boy, Gar" Said Cyborg while he tried to get the signal that had arose our alarm. "He's so comitted he didn't loose time dressing up to see what was going on." Victor turned and smiled at him. "Wich makes me wonder if you sleep with your mask on, kid."

I shrugged, embarrassment filling all of my pores.

"Just a bad habit."

Then he turned to the comunicator and I felt free of the overwhelming bashfulness of being the good pupil. I mean, I love praise like everyone else, specially when I deserve it. And truth was I had forgotten completely I was undressed.

So, to think about anything else, I looked around while Vic fought the com.

Bart was eyeing me, wich meant he knew I never forgot to put the costume but was not going to say a thing, not yet. Cassie, on the other hand, looked as if she was trying not to stare too much at me. Loony Tunes undies made her uncomfortable, uh? Girls. It figured.

The static that was coming out of the com subsided, bringing me back to reality, and, finally, we got an image. An image and a voice.

I forgot about my Daffy Duck pants again, as I'm sure did the rest of us.

There on the screen was a face we knew too well. At least some of us.

_"Shzzzt._.. llo, Young Justice." Said Harm, smiling like the crazy psycho he was. "... _shhzztzzt_... find you wherever you are hidding now and then I will make you pay. I miss you all, specially m... _shzzzzt_... ter. Don't be strangers!"

The comunication ended suddenly with some more static on the screen. We were all silent while Vic turned the communicator off.

"Young Justice?" He asked, turning to us, the three younger members. "Just who the heck was this guy?"

"He is Harm." Said Cassie. "And we though we had got ridden fo him."

"But obviously he is not dead."

"Yes, he is."

Bart was always quicker than any of us.

The Titans looked a little perplexed.

Cassie looked at me and grinned. _"Yours"._

"His father killed him to prevent him becoming a mass murderer. But he had sold his soul to some demon, so... he came back". I went to the comunicator while I spoke, rewinding the record and stopping it with his face over our heads. "Young Justice defeated him, and we really thought we had gotten rid of him for good. Or better, had totally forgotten about the poor devil" I admited. "And now it looks like he does not know there is no Young Justice, not anymore."

"But, he sent the message here". Reasoned Gar. "He has to know that some of you are at the Titans now."

Yeah, I had thought so, but...

"A Psychoimage" I murmured.

"A what?"

"You know, like a psycophony, but filmed. They say it's possible for some residual energies to manifest themselves through images, and that they can be recorded."

"Like in this _Ring_ film?" Asked Bart with a chill.

"Yes, just like that."

"So, he doesn't need to know where to send the message, just the person he wants to send it to" Finished Victor.

"It makes sense." Agreed Raven.

"So he sent his message to Young Justice? Just thinking about us?" Cassie looked worried.

"Oh, yes." I realized. "Cissie, Greta and Anita could have recieved it too."

"And Con." Added Wondergirl.

"Yeah, him too. Better check on them before we start any course of action. And while someone is at it, we can go through the recording again for any clue and..."

Victor and the rest were staring at me. The big and metallic guy was similing, really amused.

"And you can go and dress yourself while we do all this things, Boy Wonder."

"But..."

"I think we can survive till you are ready."

Of course. I was not the boss. Not of the Titans. Not of Youg Justice. Not anymore. Not since they decided I was not trustworthy. And there I was, telling all of them what to do.

Ok, time to relax. I got it.

So I agreed and went to my room, to put something over my shameful pants.

But, yeah, you can call me workahollich, first thing I did when I got to my room was to put on my ear comunicator.

"Oracle? Are you there?" I asked while I put my costume on.

"Do you know anything funnier to do on a saturday night, Robin?"

I couldn't tell if Barbara was in a good or a bad mood. It could be both with a gothamite.

"Well, let's try that one. Can you send to my e-mail anything you find about psychoimages?"

"About what?"

"Psychoimages. Ghosts on a filming or a picture and such."

"You know, Robin, I think the Titans are just a bad influence. "

Good mood, definitively.

"I'll wait for it, Babs. "

"Don't call me that, kid. I still can beat the crap out of you. "

"I love you too."

She shut off the line just in time, I had dressed already. I felt a little ashamed of playing the Bat with the Titans, as they would probably place it, but I was used to do it full time. It's hard to change a man's habit. And it was not as if I was not planning to tell them if I found anything valuable.

So, fully dressed and ready, I returned to the communicator room.

Victor, Gar, Starfire, Speedy and Raven were checking the record of the message in their quest for clues while Cass and Bart were trying to comunicate with the non-active members of Young Justice. And they seemed worried.

"Something wrong, Wondergirl?"

She sighed without softening her grip on the microphone.

"Well, we have already contacted with Anita and Cissie."

"Have they...?"

"Well, Anita was sleeping," Explained Bart. "so he was not very happy with our call. She turned her Teevee on, anyway, and there was Harm, with the same exact message. "

"She wanted to come, but we convinced her not to. At least for the moment."

"And Cissie?"

"She was already up. She told us the creepy message came through some of Traya's toy." Said Cassie with a grim smile. "Can you imagine it? A furby with Harm's voice?"

I shuddered. Those toys gave me the creeps without the help of a murderous ghost.

"Is Greta alright?"

"A little freaked out, but it just figures."

Yeah, it figured. When your brother had killed you once, hearing his voice through a child's toy was not the best way of waking up. But she would be alright, because we were going to find Harm and make sure he was out of bussines for good.

"Well, so that kind of proves my theory and gives us reasurance that everybody is alright."

"Not everybody." Cassie lowered her head and her voice. "Conner is not answering the comunicator."

Oh, that.

"The moron probably thinks we are calling for him to join us or something."

Both turned to me, suspicion, if not surprise, in their eyes. Yeah, trained by the world's greatest detective, but with an awful big mouth.

"He's been here." I said reluctantly.

"But..." I nearly could hear Cassie's heart jumping out of place.

"He is gone now. And he is probably mad at me, so he won't answer in a while."

"That's why you were already up when the alarm rose". Bart wasn't asking.

"Yeah."

"But why should he be mad at you?" Cassie was looking as if I was the one to blame for their failed relationship. "Did the two of you...?"

"They fought, Cas." Bart, again. "That will explain the bruise in Rob's cheeck and the hole in the sink."

"Have you been reading Sherlock Holmes books now? Or it's just too much CSI?" I snapped, angrily. "It's none of your business, anyway."

"None of our business? He is our friend too."

"Is he? A friend that stalks us at night and don't even stay when the alarm starts ringing?" Wasn't that great? Now I was angry at Cass too. "He is just a coward and we should forget about him."

"Look, Tim, I don't know what you are talking about, and I don't care. All I care is that he could be in danger right now and if he just left we can still catch him."

Yeah, of course she didn't care. How could she snog him if she cared?

"Well, perfect, go and catch him if you can. Or send Bart, he is faster and useful, now he knows how to think. The rest of us will focus on Harm and his intentions to save all of our butts."

Cassie punched me and sent me across the room. There was anger in her eyes while I got up, helped by Victor, who, unaware of our quarrel, seemed out of words. He held me tight, which prevented me of jumping to Wondergirl and return the hit.

Luckily, Starfire was restraining her.

"What's the matter with the two of you?" Asked the extraterrestrial princess

"Ask him!" Said Cassie, releasing her from Kory's grip and crossing her arms, defiantly.

"Well?" That was Vic, looking at me, dissapointed.

I too released myself, feeling madder because now I was also ashamed.

"I'm sorry." I said, even if it was not true. "We are all a little nervous, Cyborg, that's all."

"No, Rob, dude, that's not all." Said Bart, standing besides Cassie. "_We _are nervous. You have a serious case of the Bats."

There was a silence in the room and, suddenly, I was laughing. I could not control myself. It was true, wasn't it? I was acting like a social moron, as if, somehow, I had activated the Bat-mood.

When I could calm down, everybody was looking at me as if I was completely nuts. And probably they were right. I was dressed in green and red, for starters.

I sighed, feeling a little relieved after my outburst. I also felt tired, and my jaw did hurt like hell with the second superpowerful punch.

"Ok, my fault." I admited, a shy smile acting as a white flag. "Sorry, Cass, Bart. I didn't want to be mean."

Cassie's eyes still flashed angrily when she looked at me, but her arms relaxed.

"Don't worry, Rob. This worldwide targeted anger is very common on teenagers." Bart was besides me in a blink. Next blink he was by the door. "You two calm down while I go and look for Supe."

"Bart, what are you talking about?" Cyborg raised an eyebrow.

"It's been Robin idea."

And he left.

I put a hand on my face while Victor turned to me.

"I was being sarcastic." I tried to explain.

"Con was not responding the comunication." Cassie managed not to look at me while she gave a more understable answer. "Robin said he had just been here, so I suggested to try and catch him, but, as Robin stated, Bart is faster."

"But I just was being sarcastic, and you know it. And Bart too."

"Yeah, I know you can turn into Mr. Sarcastic once in a while," She did look at me this time, and I swear there was some fire in there. Gee! I had just started a war with Ares pupil. "but I also know you are a fast thinker, so probably, in your witty and painful remark, you were right."

"And, consulting the boss was not an option?" Cyborg stare at the two of us.

"I'm not trying to be the boss!" I defended myself.

"Of course not. It's funnier to make plans and snap orders in the face of your actual leader."

Before I could answer Cassie, Starfire had picked the two of us by our collars and lifted us from the ground.

"I don't want to hear a sound coming from any of your mouths."

"But..."

"Not a sound, Wondergirl. If Diana or Nightwing could see you, they would be very ashamed."

I grunted, but did not said a word. I could not fly as Cassie did, so I was a little unconfortable. Not to mention the humiliation and, of course, the neverending feel I was a disapointment to everyone.

Cyborg kind of smile when Cas grunted too.

"Ok, now that we are all calmed... What does the record tell us about Harm, Gar?"


	3. Chapter 3

III.-

The recorded image of Harm was telling us nothing relevant. He was in a kind of cellar or basement... Underground, of course. Hell is underground, isn't it? So, our clues were not really clues but understatements. And Cyborg was relying on technology to try to find the source of the message.

I knew better, but, seated on my corner, explicitely far from Cassie, feeling like a grounded child, all I could do was check my mail to any information Oracle could have sent me. Not much, and all really, really freaky. Little people took the matter seriously, and the ones that did talked like loonies.

Raven came to me and sat at my right, peering over my shoulder for a while. She was silent and I knew she was trying to restrain herself of eating away my anger or whatever was she did when she soathed people. She was also reading my mood, of course, even if she knew I hated her doing so.

"You know what "_private_" means, Raven?"

She stiffened herself, looking away from my computer.

"Sorry. I just guessed you were informing yourself about this psychoimages, and I thought I could help. Due to my powers... "

"Can you?"

"What?"

"Help. Can you? Or do you prefer to talk about how unconfortable my anger makes you feel? Because I don't feel the night is going to be any better either way, so... you choose."

"You don't like my powers."

"No when I feel trespassed. But it's not your fault. I cannot help being a sneaky paranoid, either."

"Thanks."

I snorted.

"You know, this was your cue to tell: '_You are not a sneaky paranoid, Robin' _"

Raven seemed puzzled so I craked a smile.

"It was a joke. An a bad one at that."

"But you don't feel happier."

"No, I don't." I sighed. "So, can you help?"

She half smiled.

"Well, I though you will be interested to know that, if he really sended a psychic message to reach you guys, or he is really near or he is really powerful."

I was silent for a time, pondering. This only raised some more questions, one of them more important than the rest.

"Why you tell me before you tell Cyborg?"

"He is searching for Young Justice."

"Yeah, and Cassie was the leader and you know it, so, why?"

"I thought it would cheer you up, give you some direction."

Oooo...k. Was I really being that pain in the ass?

Time to lighten up, Timbo.

I smiled to her thankfully.

"Ok, so let's get started with the deductive work before we tell the boss." I moved my laptop so she can get a better view of the screen, in case we needed something. "You say he must be near to send this kind of message... but it also got to Cissie's _and_ to Anita's. Besides, we had already decided he didn't know we were now members of the Titans, so the probabilities of him being near the tower are really scarce."

"So... is he really this powerful?"

"Only if he has improved a lot. "

I opened all my files about Harm and let her check for herself.

"So... not that powerful." She repeated. "Then, maybe we are wrong about the psychic message."

"No, we are not."

"Because you are never wrong?"

"Because I have this feeling in the back of my neck."

I bite my nails while I looked into the psychotic face in my laptop screen. He was not alone. Harm was not alone and perhaps he was nothing more than a decoy. Or he was abusing and, therefore, using someone with the real power... or he had any kind of tool... or...

I sighed. It was no use to think without more evidence.

"So, do you trust my hunch, Raven?"

"Will you trust anyone's hunch?"

"Good point. If someone told me it was just a feeling, I would search for more evidence."

She seemed proud of herself. Great! I was Raven's Little Grasshopper now.

So be it. I needed further evidence, so I needed Barbara. So I needed to politely get rid of Master Grashopper for a few minutes.

"Ok. Can you tell Cyborg what we already have while I search the web? I'm still kind of embarrased and..."

"Lier."

But she stood up nontheless and walk to the others. Scarce minutes till they came asking questions I couldn't answer yet.

"Oracle, you there?"

"Murmuring, Robin? You know how ugly it is to talk alone in front of your friends?"

"Don't worry, they already think I'm loosing it."

There was a gentle chuckle from the other line.

"Ok, so then let's not delay you any further. What paranormal issue do you want me to cover now, Timmy?"

"Timmy?"

"Babs?"

Gee, women! Did they ever forget?

"I 'm sending you some files on a former Young Justice foe. He was a creepy guy, but Raven think he is not powerful enough to send the kind of psychic message we have recieved."

"This ghost thing is serious?"

"Until further notice, yes."

"So you want me to search for anything related with that kind of psychic capacity. Why don't you contact some expert like Zatanna?"

"The JLA will belive we cannot solve things without adults."

She coughed.

"And what am I exactly?"

"A wonderful, beautiful and brilliant young woman."

"You flatterer."

"Do I have your help, pretty seer?"

"Only because Batman never gives me X-files to solve."

"You are the best."

"Yeah, but you never take me to the cinema. Oracle out."

So I was alone again with my fake typing in the laptop while Raven talked the other Titans into the spooky world of ghost, residual energies and magic. I let the masquerade on a little more and then closed the computer.

Starfire eyed me while I stood up and joined them, but she didn't say a thing. So I wasn't grounded anymore. Cool. Cassie, on the other hand, avoided my gaze all too well, wich was also cool, in a sarcastic, bad and fucked up way.

"Something in the bat-computer?" Asked Gar, eager to break the ice.

I shrugged.

"Not yet, this laptop is not HAL precisely."

Beast Boy laughed at that, wich relaxed a bit the feeling around me.

"So, no solid proof on your psychoimage theory."

"Not for the time being,boss."

Cyborg smiled at my bravado.

"Then, _for the time being_, we are going to act on guesses."

"Seems enough to me." Said Gar. "You guess, I act."

"Can I try my guess here, Cy?" Asked Speedy.

"All yours."

"Ok, so, this guy looks for Young Justice, doesn't he? And he does not know about you being in the Titans, does he? So, even if he is sending this message telepatically or with a very good and expensive device... he must be in the vicinity of a place he thinks you know or own."

"It makes sense." I agreed. "Problem is we had two headquarters."

"Did he knew about the hotel?" Asked Cassie.

"Frankly, can't remember."

"Neither I." She admited. "So we have this two spots to cover."

"We can split up." Said Bart.

"Yeah, we can fly to a middle point and then we can split in two groups." Said Cyborg.

"Can I go to the hotel? It was cooler than the cave."

"Yes, Bart you can..."

Ok. Yes. You had already noticed. Congratulations. You weren't there.

We all turned to Bart, who sat on a chair while he ate some cheetos, smiling as if his goof was just one of the better jokes on the galaxy. It could have been, had he not abused it.

I noticed Con was not with him, so did Cassie. What made me angrier just made her more anxious.

"Well? Have you found Con? Was he all right?" Said Wondergirl, searching the room with her eyes.

"Yes and Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, I've found him. Yes, he is alright." Then he saw it was not enough an explanation to the rest of us. "He wasn't responding because he left the comunicator at home. I told him to stay alert and he thanked me. And That was all."

"For someone as fast as you, you took your time for so little a conversation." Said Cassie, suspicion painted in her frown.

I had just thought the same, but really, I was not in the mood to hear just how Bart had told him to come to the tower to help us solve this up and he had just refused, because, oh, terrific fate, he had bad genes.

Fortunately, Bart just shrugged, and, before any of us could say anything else, he was standing beside us, a map in his hands.

"Look, Cy, the hotel was here. Right, Rob? And the cave... here. So we can fly, as you said, until this point, and then we split in two groups. Mine will head to the hotel, of course."

Cyborg peered over the map. I was sure he was not thinking about Bart's plan, but judging the ambience and our moods. He was this kind of leader.

"Ok, yes. Bart is right, this is the best point." Bart grinned at Victor words. "Let's get to the jet and ready ourselves. Then Bart, Cassie, Raven and me will go to the Hotel. We can all fly, lest Bart, but he can do something very similar. The rest will stay in the jet and head to the cave."

He was also the kind of leader that gave you space to think about your actions, one way or another. And it was obvious I was the one being separated from my friends for being a mean child. Still, I couldn't complain, could I?

"I can fly." Starfire did complain.

"And me too." Said Gar. "And I want to go to the hotel."

"Kory, you are going with them in case they need some kind of powerful back up. We have to balance teams."

The princess agreed with a nod and Beast Boy sulked, transforming himself into a bird and flying around Cyborg.

"Pleeease, I want to go to the hotel. Pleeeaaase."

Meanwhile Cassie looked at me with her brow still frowned and then looked away. I understood. It was my fault Con had not stayed tonight. My fault he had not come along with Bart. My fault he was away, with the peril it implied. Probably, it was also my fault he didn't called her since he left.

All in all, a great way of welcoming the rising sun.


	4. Chapter 4

IV.-

Cyborg said it would be good if all of the team knew what we were facing, so, while we flew to our destination in the jet, Cassie and Bart filled the others in about the maniac ghost. I didnt' felt like talking, so I just sat there, switching myself off for a while, recolecting the few words Victor had exchanged with me before the flight.

_"Are you sure you are ok, kid?"_

_"Not in the better of moods."_

_"We all can see it." his smile was wary . "You know you can come to me any time you need it, don't you?"_

_"Yes."_

_"Only checking, just in case. "_

_"I'll try not to forget it."_

_"Perfect. And, Robin..."_

_"Yes?"_

_"Sometimes people don't act as we would like them to, but it doesn't mean they don't care."_

As if it helped.

But I said nothing to him, because he was just trying to make sure his team was ready for the battle, and I wanted him to trust me. I needed a little action to clear my mind, and I didn't want Cyborg or Starfire to make me do backup work or something like that. So, as I've said, I nodded in agreement and just avoided Cassie all the flight. And, finally, while they jumped out of the plane I just stood there, watching.

"We should get going." I said once they were just a tiny spot in the horizon. "We have a cave and all of its corners to cover and we don't really have all day to do so."

Gar stopped his whinning about staying and sat at the controls of the Jet while Kory gave him some directions. And that was, really, all the words we exchanged during the travel. I nearly felt bad for Beast Boy, Cyborg had took with him all the sociable Titans.

"We are arriving." Said Starfire finally. "Any sugestion for the landing?"

"Far from the cave." I said, looking through the screen window, assessing the situation. "We can walk the last few miles to the cave, and thus, scan the area."

"And save some surprise element" Added Mia, agreeing with me.

So we landed a pair of miles from the cave and prepared ourselves for an early morning raid on the abandoned cave, way through the woods. Beast Boy complaint all he could (about our company, about having to walk, about being in a dark and wet wood instead of being in some fancy hotel facility...), but made himself really useful once we left the plane. His ability was far more suitable than any of ours provided the enviorentment, and he loved the praise any time he comunicated indicanting all was clear.

Half an hour later we were aproaching the cave and nothing seemed out on place in the animal comunity. Not a single bad vibration, said Gar. Every little leaf in its place.

Wich probably meant that I could be somewhere else doing somethig useful.

But I fought the itch to comunicate already with the other team to see if they were making any progress. We hadn't even entered the cave. It will appear that I was not 100 focussed in our mission and I didn't want Cyborg to think so.

We stopped near the entrance, far from the surveilance cameras, regroupping and checking what our options were.

Not many was the short answer.

"So, you know this place, Robin. How do we get in?"

I just pointed.

"Big door."

"Ok." Said Gar, taking his human form again and leaning to a tree. "I may be not the smartest guy around (even if I'm the sexiest) but... this is the main entrance."

"No, Beast Boy... this is the ONLY entrance."

And, signaling the cameras, I crawled my way, knowing they will follow.

There was a blind spot by the door, so we leaned there and waited a few minutes, just to make sure it was not going to open and let some creepy henchman out. When we were certain it was not likely to happen, I prepared for my next move.

"I'm going to try the old security code to open this thing," I murmured. "but I'm quite certain I'm going to have it hacked."

"Are you asuming he has taken the time to change the old password? It's a lot of effort just to catch some teens." Said Speedy.

I smiled.

"Harm? No, he most probably haven't even used the door. I'm just thinking about someone in the JLA paranoid enough to have changed passwords since we left."

"Oh." Gar frowned. "Batman is creepy, man. And I'm a green guy, I know what I'm talking about."

I said nothing, admiting the truth in it, and, with a gesture, I indicated I was going to proceed.

As I had suspected, the old security code was not working. Bruce really thought about everything.

_And you read his mind allright._

I sighed and, pulling a wire out of my belt, conected my internal com.

"Oracle, are you there? I need you" I pleaded while I connected the wire to the panel.

"Yes, I'm here, Robin. I was not planning to go stretch my legs yet."

"Sorry to disturb, but I need to hack the entrance to the Justice Cave and I don't have the time, nor the equipment, to do it myself."

"Ok, let me in."

"All yours."

The screen in the panel flased green and the numbers there began spinning really fast.

"While we are at it, Robin, do you want to know what I found about your X-file?"

"Yes, but wait."

I signaled to the rest of the team to come closer while I activated the speakers.

"Now, Oracle." I said when they were at hearing range.

"Ok, listen: all over europe, reports about stolen relics are driving policemen mad. Most of those items were part of private colections or museums, and were suposed to have magical or mystical capabilities. Not that anyone ever belived truly in them but... "

"Can you send me files on all those items?"

The counter showed three numbers, while half of the screen still spinned.

"Sure, Boy Wonder. Where?"

"Justice Cave computer."

Barabara snorted, half amused, half disdainful.

"Feeling over-confident today? Or just showing off?"

"I feel daring."

"And conceited."

"It's not arrogance, my dear Oracle, is knowing what my value is."

The green light flashed again and the door was open. She was really superb.

"I'd have sworn it was called puberty." Her voice wore a warm smile. "You are in, and I'm out."

The comunication ended.

I unplugged myself from the panel and turned to the Titans. Kory was already checking the passage to the cave for some possible nasty surprises with Speedy just at her rear, bow ready. Gar was looking at me, a silly smile on his face.

"You Bat-people really have a sexy-voiced assistant."

"You tell Nightwing." I said nonchalantly while I collected the wire. "But let me know when you do so. I'll take some popcorn with me."

His smile froze and he rapidily took his place behind Speedy, leaving the rear to me.

We moved through the corridors with deliberate slowness, minding every step and avoiding cameras. It was a weird feeling, breaking into a place that was once my own hideout, trying to remeber every bending and every hole to, perhaps, find a psycho ghost and, if possible, catch him.

Not that I was really confident in that last part.

Never in our former encounters had I figured out a way of stopping Harm that didn't involved Bart's superspeed or Greta's... no, Secret's powers. And we lacked the two of them in that very moment. Nevermind. Improvisation and imagination were as good a plan as any other. It used to work with Young Justice, so... why not with the Titans?

I shouldn't have worried.

It took us forty minutes to finish searching the cave and no trace of Harm.

"He can still be hidden somewhere" Said Mia not very convinced herself.

"I don't think so. He never was the kind to hide and wait." I sat before the computer, conecting it in order to download those files Barbara should have already sent. "We better call Cyborg and the others. I presume they haven't found a trace of him either, or they should have stablished contact by now."

Starfire nodded and opened her comunicator. I waited till Victor answered and then, relieved, began searching for Oracle's files.

"And what now?" Asked Gar, sitting besides me.

"Now we sit down and look at those stolen relics to find some clue."

"Can we print them or something?"

"Well, it's been sometime since I last checked the printer, but.. yes, I think so. Let's try and..."

_"and then we can get the hell out of here"_ was what I was going to say, but my sentence stood unfinished because, suddenly, the screen changed, showing a grinning maniac face.

Harm.

"Good morning, heroes!" His voice surrounded us all thanks to the cave speakers, startling me. "Robin, my dear friend! I was beggining to worry, what took you so long? And let me see..." He moved his head, as if he was peering over the screen. "a brand new bunch of superloosers? Have you lost all your former members? I really hope it's not so... I was willing to kill you all myself."

"Harm, really, were you not humiliated enough last time you tried to beat us?"

"Perhaps is not very smart to be witty with me, birdie. You still don't know where I am or what I'm up to. I'll give you a clue: I'm not in the Cave."

I smiled.

"I'll give you two, _Billy_: you are using an old device to send us a psychoimage, and you are not far from here, because this time the reception is perfect. So close you can see and feel us this time."

Harm frowned before smiling again.

"Very clever, Urban Legend. Now find me for real, before I loose my patience and start my plan without you."

He ended the comunication and the screen showed again pictures of the stolen relics. A golden staff, a silver goblet, a copper dagger and a bronze mirror... Gee! They all seemed out of a Dungeons and Dragons game!

"What are those and what does he want with them?"

"I still don't know," I admitted, "but we will, eventually."

I gave the computer the order to print and got up.

"I hope it's not too late when we do." Said Kory, frowning stlighly, clearly worried. "Victor is coming here with the rest of the Titans. Are we going to be able to find where this Harm is before they arrive?"

"Only one way to find out."

And while the printer did its work, I inmersed my self in all the information available. Harm was not going to outwit me, no way. He was near here and he was using one of those relics. If I only found out what they did and how they worked, I might be able to tell where was he operating from and what he was really up to.

This was my field. This was my work. This was my life.

No, Harm was not going to outwit me.


	5. Chapter 5

_V.-_

_**Item 1.- Sehmet's arm. Circa 3000 b.C.**_

_Property of the British Museum._

_Golden staff embroided with blue gems and engrabed with egiptian hieroglyphics telling the story of the lioness goddes. _

_Sehmet, or Sacmis, was Ra's daughter, simbolizing the sun in its destructive nature. She was feared in both the living and the dead worlds, and even Seth or Apophis were afraid of her. _

_This golden staff was said to be her very arm, giving the holly holder part of her terrible powers over the living and the dead._

_Price.- Unvaluable._

_**Item 2.- Idhunn's goblet. 780 b.C.**_

_Property of the Louvre Museum._

_Silver Goblet, with golden trimming in its cup and rubby garments in its stem._

_It was named after her bearer, goddes Idhunn. Goddes of eternal Youth and Inmortality, it was said that she guarded the golden honey which gave the gods their strenght and youth when they were worn out._

_This silver goblet was said to bring the dead back from the grave._

_Price.- Unvaluable._

_**Item 3.- Minotaur's horn. Circa 2000 b.c**_

_Property of Heraklion's Archeology Museum._

_Copper dagger adorned with a bull's head motive, as usual in minoic relics._

_Found in the Aegean coasts in early's 1400 a.C., it's said to be the horn of the terrific minotaur, turned into a dagger when young Thesseus killed it. Why should have it ended in the sea it's not in any legend to be told. _

_This dagger was held as a bad omen for many years, leading his founding to the Turkish domination of the mediterranean._

_The Minotaur's horn was cobbeted by some pagan and heretic cults._

_Price.- Unvaluable_

_**Item 4.- Athena's Mirror. 350 b.C**_

_Property of Athen's Archeology Museum._

_Bronze mirror, polished acording to the ancient technique. It's frame is esculpted with an owl and a helmet, simbolizing the duality of Athena, goddes of knowledge and war._

_Athena, born out of Zeus head, was considered goddes of inteligence and military tactics. Protector of Athens, she was ussually represented as an owl or as a warrior. _

_This Bronze mirror was said to be able to show the trained observer other places and people. _

_Price.- Unvaluable_

Isn't it nice when you can add two plus two and four is the ugliest result you can ever get?


	6. Chapter 6

VI.-

O.K.

This thing was getting weirder by the minute.

"Rob, dude, this is... "

I turned. Gar was reading one of the printed copies of the information I was already reading on the screen. He looked both alarmed and confused. So was I.

"Creepy?"

"Well, they are just old relics, do you all truly belive they have the powers described in here?" Said Mia, always down to earth.

"You'd have a point, if I didn't know what is really possible to achive with dark magic."

I was thinking, of course, about Darla Aquista and Jhonny Warren. But didn't want to discuss the issue right there.

"So... do we have to asume he is trying to raise himself from the dead?" Speedy, still sounding sceptical, looked at the picture of Idhunn's Goblet. "And he sees us using the mirror, of course."

"Of course. And I presume Sekhmet's Arm gives him the power he needs to use the mirror."

"And the dagger?"

"Beats me."

"Wow, there's something you don't really know?" I decided to take Gar's cheerfulness as a compliment.

"I try to look human from time to time." I said, sitting down again, and connecting to the net. If those objects were really magic, there will be files on them somewhere. "Now I'm going to enter geek mode. Don't take it personally if I ignore the real world for a while."

"And what are we suposed to do while we wait?"

"There's a swimmingpool down there." I said, signaling the way with my thumb, my eyes already glued to the screen.

Gar turned to Kory, pleading with his big, puppy eyes.

"Can we?"

The princess sighed but shrugged.

"It can be nice to wet our feet." Agreed. "Speedy?"

"I prefer to wait here, watching Mulder at work."

She shrugged again.

"Ok, then. We will be down there. When Victor arrives..."

"We let you know by the speakers." I said, waving in the general direction of the comunication sistem.

I was slightly aware of their departure, as well as Mia sitting besides me, crouching in the chair. But beyond that, the external world faded and all that mattered was the information I was trying to find an the twists and bends I had to perform in order to achieve it.

I concentrated my efforts on the Mirror and the way it worked, sendind a mail to Oracle, thanking her, asking her to the movies next wednesday and pleading her to look for some more info on the goblet and, specially, the dagger.

The mirror, so far, was a really interesting archeological discovery. Professor Heinrich Schiliemann found it in the Parthenon, a relic thousands of years old, polished and shinny, or so was told. Sceptical historians held that Schiliemann polished it after the discovery, while mistical cults always claimed its magical properties and were against it exposition in museums.

Mistical and pagan cults... You'd be amazed of the amount of them that really exist... And the amount of public acces webpages they hold. Even discussion forums about mistical and magical items! Gosh! People were really crazy out there.

So, aparently, this Athena's mirror magic properties were as described in our former files, a kind of window to wherever o whoever the holder was thinking about. As I already asumed thanks to Raven observations, the closer you were, the stronger the conection. And he was near the Justice Cave, but... where? What was this thing range? And probably you need to be really strong if he was using Sekhmet's arm. Or the golden staff was to get the goblet to work?

_"Robin..."_

I entered yet another forum, placing again my question about the mirror action range, while, in another window, I began to randomly look for abandoned basements in the adyacent area. If I hit jackpot I really didn't mind if it was sheer luck or pure skill.

_"Rob, hey!"_

So... like fifteen abandoned basements, including some mining facilities and never finished subterranean tuneling.

_"Robin!"_

All of them in an area of about 5 miles... so I was discarding a lot of other posible subterranean hideouts just because I had this feeling in the back of my neck...

"Robin!" Speedy punched me in the arm, startling me.

"Au!"

"Are you deaf or something?"

I turned to her and realized she had been trying to get my atention.

"Sorry. I was kinda..."

"Focused, yeah... But I thought this might interest you." She said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice, her finger pointing the surveilance monitors.

Oh, damn.

Someone had sneaked through the open door and was trying to avoid the cameras, not very succesfully.

"Ok, he is in the main corridor..." I said, getting up really slowly. "wich means he will be here in about twenty seconds."

"Or she."

"Or she." I added flatly. Not that I was a chauvinist, but... why did girls always had to point it out?

"So we are waiting for _her_?" She asked, aparently amused.

"Yes, you can cover most angles from there," I said, pointing to a corner, Cissie's favourite. "and I can cover the rest. We can take _him, _and then call Kory and Gar."

She smiled and nodded, positioning herself in the corner so silently that I could have been fooled if I hadn't sent her there myself.

I did my part, hiding in a dark spot by the door, and we waited.

The dark silhoutte was really near now, I could see it in the monitors.

One, two, three...

Man, it was really clumsy and noisy for someone sneaking into a hideout.

Four, five, six, seven...

His shadow was cast through the wall, and it was definitively a He. The guy was really bulky. And material. Wich let Harm out of the equation, unless he had already used the goblet.

Eight, nine...

He was nearly under my nose now...

Ten!

I put my stick under his feet, making him fall, taking adantadge of his more than bigger frame, just as I had learned to do. My next hit was aimed at his nose, but Mia's shout stopped me. Not that it had made any diference, now that I could see his face.

Thinking it twice, why not?

So I hit Conner in the nose, knowing it was not going to hurt him, but making me feel a little better.

"Ouch! You did it on purpose!" Superboy protested.

"What the heck are you doing here, Conner?" I snapped back angrily while I put my stick back on my belt pouch. "Now you stalk us even when we are out in a mission? The farm is too boring to you?"

"I was worried!" He defended himself, letting Mia help him to stand up. "Bart told me about Harm and... well, this guy was a kick on the butt... so I followed, just to make sure you were allright".

"Why you followed us and not the other team?" Asked Mia, probably thinking about Cassie.

"Well, to even things a little."

To even...

"Oh, thank you very much." I retorted.

"You know what I mean!"

"Yes, and I wish I didn't."

"What's the fucking matter with you? You were angry because I was not going to stay... and here I am, ok? What am I suposed to do to fit your standarts?"

I snorted, returning to the computer, deciding to ignore him from now on. Let the rest of the team deal with him. I had things to do.

"Don't give your back to me, Rob!" Conner put a hand in my shoulder, making me turn to him.

I hit his arm, freeing myself.

"No, Conner, don't _you _ever give your back to me if you are touching me again. And now, please, I have work to do."

I sat again in front of the computer and surfed through the net, ignoring the conversation behind me the best I could.

_"What's with him?"_

_"I was hoping you could tell us."_

_"No, I already told Bart I didn't have a clue as why Robin would have turned into..."_

Ok, so fifteen basements in the surrounding area. From mines to bunkers to unfinished tunels... If I were a psycho obsesed with hell...

_"Are you all right?"_

_"Yes, it's not like he can break my nose and even if he could... "_

I recieved a pair files from Barbara on the goblet, and I opened them, hoping for a real clue. Nothing on the dagger so far.

"_So, what's all this about? What is Harm up to?"_

_"You wouldn't belive..."_

Idhunn's Goblet.

The Golden Honey of eternal youth.

As in Indiana's movie, you had to drink from the goblet to have eternal life. I had guessed so far. No further information as for the "raising the dead" thing, except you need a body to resurect.

Yiuc!

So I searched the news for a profanated tomb, crossing fingers to be wrong.

"_So... you are waiting for the others?"_

_"Yes, Cyborg will be here in short notice."_

_"Ow."_

I sighed, turning to them.

"It will take them at least fifteen more minutes to get here. You can still go before they arrive."

Con frowned.

"I'm here to fight Harm."

"I was just trying to help." I said, shrugging. "I thought you wanted to avoid Cassie."

A dense silence filled the room and Speedy bit her lip, uncomfortable.

"Fifteen minutes, uh?" She said, finally. "I better go get Kory and Gar..."

And she dodged to the tunnel, leaving the two of us alone.

Fucking great.

The silence extended a little more, so I turned to the computer again.

"I have fifteen possible basements from where he could be operating." I said, showing a map on the big screen, red spots marking the location of the possible hideouts. "Any guess?"

"Are you kidding, right?"

"No, I really want to know."

"You..." Con passed a hand through his face. "You have done your best to be as disgusting as possible, and now you just ask my opinion about where Harm can be? Don't you realize I can't just talk to you as if nothing had happened?"

"That's your problem, not mine. We are trying to avoid a madman to come back to life here. Personal quarrels don't mind."

"You talk just like him." He said with a hint fo aversion in his voice.

I clenched my fists and bit my lip.

"This is the mirror he is using to contact us." I said, tending him the printed copy. "I still don't know the range of action of this thing, but I asume he is really near."

"Tim, by God's sake!" Superboy stripped the paper, turning my chair, making me face him. "If I have done something wrong, just tell me, ok? But just don't... do this! "

"Do what?"

"THIS! This whole _'I'm badder than bad and I dont' really care' _thing!"

"Oh. You mean this '_I'm not in the mood for your whinning so I try to stick to bussines'_ thing?"

He sighed

"Why?"

Ok.

He wanted to know.

Perfect.

Just fucking perfect.

"Because you are not going to stay. That's why." I answered, standing up and getting away from him. "And yet you are here, rising our expectations. And I just don't want to be disapointed again."

"We've talked about this, Tim."

"No, we've not." I sat at the table, avoiding his gaze. "And now it's not the best of times to talk."

"No? Why not?"

"Because Vic and the others are by the door. And Mia, Kory and Gar will be here in mere seconds."

He turned to the monitors, grimacing.

"I really hate when you are right."

"Then you must hate me all the time."

His grimace turned into a smile.

"You bet."


	7. Chapter 7

VII.-

"You came! I knew you would!" Said Cassie when she saw Conner.

She ran to him, stopping a few steps from him, her hands twitching, the wish to hold him too big, the fear of his reaction too real.

"Of course I came". His smile was tense and his hands were on his pockets. "This Harm guy was a moron."

"Yeah, he still is." Her hands went to her back.

One didn't need to be trained by the world's greatest detective to see all they were saying without words, so I felt a little awkward watching their rejoining. The rest of the Titans surrouding them and patting Con on the back eased the tension.

So we were a cheerful bunch again.

Yipei yai hey.

Cyborg came to me after greeting Superboy.

"Kory says you have news for us."

"Sort of." I felt uncomfortable, really unconfortable. As if I was the one piece that didn't fit. "I can fill you in so you can give a brief to the team."

"No, Boy Wonder. Your research, your speech." He gave me one of his _thumbs up_ smiles. "I'll gather them around the table and you talk. That's what we commonly call Team Work."

"No, that's what you commonly call _let the rookie graft_."

But I went to the computer and reprinted what Con had ripped.

When I turned to the table, they were all there, waiting. So I started again with the four stolen relics are their legendary properties. I talked mater-of-factly, passing all the files I had and displaying the map with all the red spots, so I could give the impresion that I was at ease.

"So, this makes fifteen possible spots where he could be hidding." I said, finally. "Assuming we are right, of course."

"I asume you are always right, Robin, dude." Said Beast Boy, grinning. "So, what do we do?" Sing _eeny meeny miny mo_ and choose? Search the entire area?"

"Or look for the one that has solar panels."

We all turned to Bart, still not used to his new thinking habit. He was besides the screen, with a smart smile on his face, signaling one of the spots, four miles from where we were.

Of course. Solar panels. Sekhmet was a sun goddes.

Mental note: Give Kid Flash a flash-cookie. He had earned it.

So we choosed our spot, relying in old legends, Bart intuiton and bit of luck. But it didn't loosen the notch in my stomach while we got to the Jet. And I didn't really knew what was causing it. I was not afraid of Harm coming back to life, not more than reasonably afraid. And I was sure as hell that my postponed talk with Con, hurtful as it might be, was not the cause. So, why? What was turning my entrails upside down?

"Hey, Rob, you all right?"

Bart sat next to me, kicking me out of my trance.

"You won't be content with a yes, will you?"

"Nope."

"I guessed." I sighed. "Then say whatever you think will make me feel better and let's hope it works."

"You also quit once, Rob, and me too. And it was hard, the quitting part and the coming back part."

"It was diferent."

"Yes? How?"

"I quit Young Justice because you made me feel like shit in Apokopolis and I needed time to forgive you all." How was any of this going to help?. "And when I quit Robin... when I quit Robin I did it because of my father... and it's something I don't want to discuss right now."

"And me? I quit because I realized I could die. As Cissie said, not a very good reason."

"I've told you, it was diferent back then."

"But you still can't tell me why it was so diferent."

I didn't need to. I just felt it. It was diferent back then. Everything was diferent.

"It was. Period."

"Gee, Tim, one can see you've been trained by..."

"Yeah. Whatever, Bart. Not now." I was getting tired of the subject. "If it makes you feel better, I plan to talk to Con as soon as we get rid of Harm."

"Does he know it?"

"Yes, Bart, he kwons! Why you are acting like an adult all of a sudden?"

"I was just cheking, dude. At least now I know Harm will not destroy Young Justice. We already have."

And, really slowly for someone as fast, he stood up and went to the other side of the jet, where Con and Cassie were still talking. Their hands were not touching yet, but it was a matter of time.

Seeing them so close only intensified the notch on my entrails and I finally realized what it was. Steph... I missed her so much...

My recent nightmare came back to me and my heart raced like crazy.

No. I didn't need those kind of thoughts. Not dwelling on the past, Tim. What was over should stay over. And the dead should stay dead. You began forming the idea and you became crazy sooner or later.

Yes. I missed her. And I missed Dad. But they were dead. And the dead should stay dead.

Shit!

I was scared. Uterly petrified.

Conner was looking at me, concerned, and I realized he could hear the frantinc beating of my heart. So I focused and breathed, acompasing my breathing slowly to my heartbeats, calming.

Then I turned to my printed files, pretending to be reading.

Wich failed as I turned page number two and my heart began bumping like crazy again.

Giving up, I raised and joined to Cyborg and Starfire at the controlers.

"Are we there yet?"

"You should have gone when we left, Robin." Said Victor really serious, making me blush in spite of myself.

Then he smirked.

"What he means is, yes, we are." Starfire kind of pitied me, I guessed. "We are landing half a mile from the solar panels, so you all should sit down and fasten your safety belts."

I nodded in agreement and turn to the others, repeating her orders and sitting down. I deliberately push the papers far from me while I fastened my belt.

This landing was smoother than the last, and I guessed it was due to Cyborg. The Jet was his idea after all, sure as hell he knew the controls by heart.

"Ok, Titans." He said, standing up, turning as to face all of us. "We don't know what we are facing exactly, but what we do know is that we are going to win. So I want team work down there. No rushing, no splitting. Is that clear?" He waited until we all nodded in agreement. "Then, Titans, go!"

So... Team work. And probably by team work he meant no scheaming behind their back.

I delayed on purpose, placing myself near Superboy. It was my only chance to talk to him privatedly.

It was an stupid idea and totally against Victor's speech.

Fuck.

I had to do it. Now or never.

I took him by the arm, stopping him.

"Con..."

He turned to me but said nothing, just stared, confused and bit wary.

Bart, who was walking besides him, dissapeared in just a blink.

I took a deep breath.

"I... I need you to do something."

"Yes?" He said, cautious.

"The goblet... you have to destroy it."

"Well, if it will stop this maniac, sure, I will." He smiled, perhaps relieved because it seemed a tactical conversation. "But I think we can kick his butt and save this valuable museum piece without even breaking a sweat. You worry too much, Rob."

"You don't understand... I need you to destroy it, even if we win. It must be smashed."

"But..."

I closed my eyes, letting go of him, feeling myself trembling and trying not to crumble.

"It raises the dead, Con."

"Yeah, I know and it's creepy, but..."

He went silent and I could feel his eyes piercing my skull. I couldn't look up, I couldn't even breath... the air was heavy and hot...

"Oh, Tim, man! You are not seriously thinking about..."

I clenched my fists and set my jaw, bringing myself toghether.

"Just tell me you'll do it, Con. I need to enter this place knowing the fucking thing is going to be destroyed."

I heard him swallow and his powerful hand fell over my shoulder.

"Yes, of course. You don't need to worry."

But I worried.

It didn't make me feel better. Just void and numb.

"Perfect. Now, lets go..." I said, not really moving. "The Titans must be worried."

"They must think we are solving our little _personal quarrel_."

But we weren't, were we? Not really. Not if Con was still quoting myself.

"Better not to make them wait."

And ignoring his worried look, I walked down the plank to join the rest of the Titans.


	8. Chapter 8

VIII.-

The place was an abandoned project of a solar plant. One could think that the goberment could finish their own projects, specially one so expensive and important as a solar energetic plant. But, of course, lots of projects were changed and abandoned during Luthor's presidency. If it was not lucrative, it was not necessary.

"Bad vibes everywere." Said Gar as soon as we were all out of the Jet, shivering and looking around. His ears, even in his human form, seemed to turn here and there, looking for sounds.

"It's true." Said Raven. "I can feel it too. There's something definitively evil in here."

"So I was right." Said Bart, so full of himself he was going to explode.

Cyborg eyed him, smiling.

"Yeah, Kid Flash, you were right."

"Wow. Iwas _right_. You know, Rob, this feeling is cool". He said, grinning in my direction.

I smiled too, but just because I didn't want Bart worried as I just have worried Con.

"Can we stick to bussiness, please?" Asked Superboy.

"Yes. We better don't dely, we don't know if that psycho has made any progress with his resurrection yet." Said Cas, siding, not surprisingly, with Con.

Not that she was not right, of course.

So I unfolded the map we had printed back in the cave and set it before us.

"There's an entrance to the facility just down the path." I said, showing the way with my finger through the paper.

"Wich path?" Asked Gar, looking over my head.

I looked.

It was all bushes and tall grass and ever some bramble.

Great.

"Well, obviusly, the path was there before all of this grew. Now we are going to fight our way through the jungle." I added, sardonically. "Not that it will be much of a problem to you."

"Not at all". He said, turning himself into a rodent and disappearing in the brushwood.

"He could have turned into something bigger to clean the way for us." Protested Con.

Koriand'r scolded him with just a stare and flew.

"Zolworg tuback plxing zardbarker!" She mutered as she followed Beast Boy from above.

"I think she means we don't need to destroy this vegetagion." Said Cyborg, smiling to the startled Superboy.

Con raised a few feet from the ground, still looking abashed, starting to follow her. Cassie went with him, a warm smile on her lips. And, of course, Bart just had to do what he did best and thorns will not even touch his clothes.

So he did.

Twice, at least.

He disapeared and then, 'plop', he was back.

"The door is heavily closed." He said. "Do you want me to try and open it while I wait for you?"

"And how are you going to do it?"

"I read a book about picking locks."

Cyborg rolled his eyes.

"Just don't touch anything till be arrive."

"Ok."

And he was gone again.

Victor, Speedy and I turned to Raven, our lift, aparently. She spread her cape and wrapped us, and when she unfolded her arms again, we were by a small, simple and dirty metalic door. A sign warned the curious about possible electrocution quite graphically and, although humidity had done its very best to rust the frame, the door was, as Bart had said, heavily closed.

"Can you unlock it, Robin?"

I looked at the eye of the lock and it seemed to guard no nasty surprises. And I was not thinking about bombs or boobie traps. I remembered a time when, as a child, I had tried the door of an abandoned church. A wasp nest in its lock had given me a very swollen and painful experience.

But this lock was clean, so I nodded and using my picklocks, began working on it.

"Let me do it, Rob, please. Come on, come on. I've read books about it. I can do it."

"Yes, Bart, as you could drive a batmobile." I replied, not looking up. "No, thanks."

"Oh, come on. With so rusty a lock... I'm sure my vibration will make it easier."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I've already done it."

And while the door opened with a gentle "click" I flashed a smile to Bart.

"Show off."

"Because I can. You first? And I opened the door wide for him to pass.

He grunted, but sprinted past the door.

The rest of us followed... mostly.

I heard a lound pang and a thud, and when I turned I could see Cyborg with his back on the ground, still outside the door. Starfire was frowning while Beast Boy was bouncing against nothing, trying to reach Bart and me.

"We are... trapped?" Asked Kid Flash, concern sounding strange in his voice.

He ran to the door, but he banged. Only me standing right behind him prevented a bad fall back.

"It seems so. It's everyone alright out there?"

I aproached the door, sensing with my fingers the force field that was stopping us from going out and them from coming in.

"Shouldn't we be asking that, Robin?" Speedy was also proving the field with the tip of an arrow.

"Probably." I shrugged. "Look, there was a back entrance somewhere. You head for it and me and Kid Flash will wait for you here."

Cyborg pondered it, but was going to agreee, because there was not really much of an option.

"No way I'm going to let you two trapped in there." Retorted Con, taking flight, aiming for the door.

I tried to warn him. Save him a lound crash against nothing...

Cassie, knowing better, just flew behind him, preparing to be his cushion.

"Superboy don't...!"

Getting onomatopoeics, the thing went like that: Swoosh, thud, putum, putum, pattang!

Wich means that somehow Con and Cass flew through the door, stomping over me and sending the three of us stumbling down the corridor until we hit a wall.

It hurt.

"What the...?" Con was trying to stand up without tripping on my cape.

"We made it!" Cassie was already up. "Perhaps the barrier is low."

Bang!

Beast Boy birdie form crushing against the shield smashed her theory.

"Oh, great." I murmured while Victor aproached the force field, making sure he still couldn't pass through it.

Starfire, always expeditious, asked him to move and sent one of her powerful rays, that simply bounced back, making her duck.

"X'hal."

"It's no use." Said Raven. "I cannot teleport inside it."

"And I cannot vibrate through it either." Added Bart.

"It's magic." I concluded, stating the obvious.

"But..." Superboy was trying his tactile telekinesis. "Why just us?"

"Don't you really see it, Con?"

Cassie opened her eyes wide.

"He wants Young Justice!"

"We have understimated him again."

"Understimate my ass!" Conner banged a fist against his open hand. "He wants Young Justice... let's go give him some of it."

"That's the worst idea that you have ever made into words." Wondergirl looked at him in disbelief.

"But..."

"He is right, Cass."

Everyone turned to me.

"Am I?"

"Is he?"

"Well, not in the speech, but in the essence. I pretty much guess the rest of the Titans are not going to be able to cross that door if we don't end this magic in its source."

"Harm." Grunted Cass.

"Harm." I said, smiling to her.

She smiled back, shurgging, kind of giving up.

"Ok, whatever. I'll be glad to kick his ass anyway."

Then I turned to Cyborg and the others, who were clearly against the whole plan, even if I hadn't voiced it yet.

"Let us find the other entrance." Asked Victor.

"It's fine to me, but I'm afraid it will be of no use. In the meantime, we are going to look for Harm and try to neutralize his magic."

"Be careful." Pleaded our leader, and I could just imagine his frustration. He was suposed to keep us safe, and we were just out of reach and on our own.

"Hey, I've got a Super, a Wonder and a Flash... what can possibly be wrong?"


	9. Chapter 9

XI.-

Have you heard about big mouths? Because mine is just huge, vast, enormous, monumental and really, really, really gigantic.

What could possibly go wrong? I said.

Indeed. What could possibly go wrong?

I hate Murphy.

Ok, so I had this plan. Bart was to scoutt ahead, because we could'nt really rely on the map, while we advanced as quietly as possible, minding every step, every direction Kid Falsh would give us through the receiver. Then, when we finally found Harm, we were not going to attack on full force. We were going to sneak up on him, rob him Sekhmet's staff or whatever he was using to be this powerful and then, yes... attack in full force.

Easy and neat.

At least easier and neater than what we finally got.

It all began with Bart's comunication.

"Hey, Robin, I think I've... aaaargh!"

Then came a horrible sound that nearly tore my eardrum before I could get rid of it.

"Damn!"

"What! What did he say?" Conner was not very good at mastering patience.

"I think he has found both Harm and problems."

"You think?"

"Kind of encrypted."

"You mean..." Cassie bit her lip.

"Harm is a psycho, and they tend to put a show before really starting the killing." I said matter-of-factly, trying to sound confident.

"I hope you are right."

Yeah. I hoped too.

"And now?" Asked Con. "We can track Bart's last transmission."

"Wow, Superboy, that's an idea you've got in there." Harm's voice rised out of nowhere while a dense mist began surrounding us. "But it won't be necessary."

And thus we were seized and chained magically, and brought to a kind of twisted altar in the basement of the plant.

The point where I began to torment myself for my foolishness and Murphy for his twisted sense of humor that was not really that brilliant, come to think of it.

Damn!

What could possibly go wrong?

Everything.


	10. Chapter 10

X.

"I knew you would find me, Robin. I was really relying on you."

Harm was crouching before me, smiling his nastier grin, clearly enjoying himself.

Just before showing us the altar, he locked us in separated rooms, giving us a really fat chance of plotting and coordinating a counterattack. And I had to admit it was far more inteligent than the common villian.

And after a while he had showed up just to brag about our failure and his victory and I could just imagine he had done so to my friends too. What I could not tell... no, correction... what I preferred not to think about was if they were still alive.

Some part of me was sure they were. As I said, he was a psycho, and catching us was not a show enough to satisfy his ego. The rest of me just shut down and didn't voice it's concerns, because I didn't need to crumble right now.

So I let him brag, because he most probably will let slip something useful.

"If you wanted so badly to be found you could have just send us a map. It would have saved a lot of time."

He grimaced.

"You are being really cocky for someone about to die."

"That's me in my other costume, Cockyboy." I shifted, my hands, tied at my back with this magic of his, were numb because of the lack of blood.

"You can joke all you want, Boy Wonder. It's not going to change a thing. I'm going to succeed and then..."

"... you are going to kill us all,blah, blah, blah."

He laughed, turning my entrails upside down. This was it. He was going to say what I didn't want to know. He was...

"Not at all. You are the only one that it's going to die."

Wait... What?

He laughed again.

"You will understand it better if I tell you the whole plan."

"Oh, you mean aside using Idhunn's Goblet to come back to life, killing me and... letting my friends go free?" No, it really made no sense at all. But... telling me his plan? Surely he was not so lame, was he?

He got up, still smiling.

"So, you know I'm going to use Idhunn's goblet. Do you know how it works too?"

"I know you need a body to resurrect."

"You've said it, a body. _Any_ body. It don't have to match."

"So... the goblet links a soul to the nearest dead body, but it has to be a recent one." I deduced. No, not deduced, hoped.

"Oh, no, the goblet cures all wouds, restores the body. But... Good all Billy, for all his might, was not mighty enough."

The knot on my stomach returned, because I didn't like the sound of this words.

Neither I liked the ideas forming in my head. Suddenly his plan was quite plain, simple and brilliant. And I was so terrified I wanted to puke.

"So, that's what the dagger is for."

_Yes, Tim. Think, deduce, connect... you are good at it and it focusses you. Don't panic. Don't crumble. Think, deduce, connect..._

"It's really going be a waste to dispose of you. But you see the need of it, don't you?"

"It's not the horn of the Minothaur." I continued, ignoring his compliment, if it really was one, everything coming to place in my head and begging to be out of there. But a magical dagger Thesseus used to kill him. To kill..".

"To kill the strongest creature alive, yes."

He grinned, evil, mean, malign...

Fear was beggining to be replaced by rage.

"You touch Superboy and I swear to god that I would kill you!" I writhed, trying to get free.

"You are in no position to threaten me, Robin. You are going to die, remember?"

"Then Wonder Girl will shatter you to pieces, monster." I knew I wasn't suposed to relish the idea, but... Heck!

"I very much doubt that she will. For all she will know, Superboy is going to get free, then he is going to stop me, freeing his friends, just to find that you were not so lucky. The Titans will be so devastated... But life goes on..."

I kicked in his direction, but he was out of range. So I spat.

"I'm going to stop you, you hear me! I'm going to lock you forever and send you into oblivion, you fucking psycho!"

His boot conected with my ribs, solid enough for a ghost.

"I told you you are in no position to threaten me." He kicked again, harder, knocking me down. "I was going to kill you right now, but I'm going to delay it."

"Then you are doommed." I mumbled through clenched teeth.

A third kick, in my stomach, leaving me breathless for a painful moment.

"See you when I come to kill you with your dear Superboy's hands."

And he disapeared in a cloud of myst, leaving me alone, hurt and horrified.

I had to do something. Because.. damn! It was really a good plan, one that was going to work, at least during time enough to grow used to Con's body and...

Damn, damn, damn, damn!

I wrestled against the magic that had me tied, slithering to the wall, standing up with the help of it. My brain was racing, the outcome of his plan if I let him succeed haunting every thought I had. I had to focuss, I had to breath and focuss and think clearly. I knew how to do it. Fuck! I knew I knew how to do it!

I walked to the door, wich was locked, of course. Nevermind. I turned, sensing the lock with my fingers, and I draw a picklock from my glove.

It helped me focuss again. Think straight and form a plan. And a brilliant one. Crazy, difficult and suicidal, but brilliant nontheless.

But first I needed to get out and find Bart and Cassie.

It was going to be the easy part. Harm had not taken away my tools, so, I suspected, Cass and Bart still had their communicators with them. Piece of cake.

Then... Conner should be at the altar. Sure, I was a bit disoriented, but Bart could find the way, and Wondergirl could free Superboy and then fight Harm, distract him, let me some time.

_"And all of this while magically handcuffed. You are not being ambitious at all"_

Click.

The door openend and I sent my own tiny, wise voice to the deeps of my subconscious. It was not needed right now.

Now I just had to get my communicator to...

Oh, fuck. Yes. My communicator was in my belt. My belt was out of reach of my hands. How was I suposed to...

_"Thank god I'm alone."_

I sat on the floor and, contorting, I wrestled with my own boots, taking them off. Then came the socks. I had to use my teeth, which was disgusting, and I felt completely stupid trying to reach my belt with my toes. If I could just... undo its buckle... It had an emergency sistem. Batman thought about every possible contingence so it had an emergency undoing system...

It went clik while my groin gone crack.

Ignoring the pain in my muscles, I began to look for my communicator.

I managed to connect its locating system to look for Flash Kid and Wonder Girl. Cassie was just down the corridor. I preferred not to look for Con. I had to focus. I couldn't do it alone. I needed Cass and Bart.

So I stood up, barefoot, with my communicartor barely caught between my teeth, and began walking the corridor. I had to leave my boots and my belt behind and I felt so ridiculous I was sure I was blushing. But so far, so good. And it was all that really mattered.

I found another door, not very different from mine, with a "copy room" notice on it. I tried to knock gently with my elbow, but, being unsuccessful, I just kicked it a few times.

"Wondergirl, it's me, Robin." I said, after spatting very cautiosly the communicator on the floor.

I got no answer.

It could mean a lot of things. I was not going to take conclusions so quickly.

"Wondie, I'm going to take you out."

And then, turning, I tried the lock as I've done before. I was nervous and my feet began to be so cold they hurt, so it was difficult to concentrate. But it was not a strong lock and it finally gave way, opening.

"Wondergirl!" I called while I entered the room.

She was also tied magically, same way I was, but she was also unconscious. I crouched besides her, rocking her as softly as I could with my foot.

"Cassie.. Cassandra... wake up, come on... I need you."

She came round, opening her eyes wide.

"Tim you are...!"

She sat up suddenly, or tried to, nearly falling when she realized her arms were not free to hug me. She frowned, frustrated, and looked around. Then turned to me, a shy smile on her lips.

"Yo, Tim... You are alive." She mimicked her late outburst with a sheepish look. She frowned at my chuckling. "Don't laugh, I was really scared! He told me he was going to kill you first, that he was going to bring your head here for me to see it and... Well..." She interrumpted herself, finally realizing it was not very polite to describe how someone was planning to tear one to pieces. "Then he made something with the staff and I fell unconscious."

"And I guess Bart is unconscious too."

"We have powers." She deduced.

"Yeah, and I don't. It figures." I said, shrugging, quite full of myself.

What? I have lots of virtues, and modesty is not one of them.

"That's why we keep you around." She winked. "People keeps underestimating the powerless kid."

She looked at my back, realizing I was handcuffed too.

"So, what's your plan, Bound Wonder?"

I gave her a blank stare. There were no boundaries to the extent of jokes people could make out of my stupid nickname?

"My plan is to save Conner and the world, all in one day."

"Conner? What's with him?"

I sighed.

"Harm is planning to use him to resurrect."

"What?" She tried to stand up too fast and he fell backwards again.

"It's too long and I can explain it to you while we go look for Bart. Can you stand up?"

She grunted, rising nontheless.

"You better don't hide anything from me, Robin."

"I'm not planning on it, promised."

When she was up and ready, she game a sideways look before walking to the door, where she stared at my communicator.

"How did you bring it all the way here?"

I showed her, catching it with my toe as I leant on the wall.

"I put it on my mouth, but since you are here, it will be easier if you carry it in your hands."

She looked astonished.

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"Singing?"


	11. Chapter 11

XI.-

Bart was just two doors away, in the brooms locker.

This time it was easier to open the door. I mean, Cassie just had to bump into its lock with her knee and it opened for her.

He was unconscious too, of course. Cassie rocked him with her foot while I checked the comunicator she was carrying in her hands.

As I had suspected, Con was not in the vicinity.

"Robin!" Bart sat straight as soon as he opened his eyes. "I've found him! He is..." Then he blinked, looking at Cassie and looking at me, at our arms... then looking at his. "Aw. He knocked me out."

"Yes, we thought so."

"Boys, please, no goofing around, ok?" Cass was watching the corridor and it was all she could do to stop herself from flying all the way to the altar and hit Harm. "Robin, fill him in."

So I did while I watched his attemps on getting up. He took it all quite calmly.

Then I told them my plan and they looked at me as if I were crazy. And not _daring crazy_, but _freaking crazy_. I didn't care as long as they nodded in agreement, which they did, Cassie more reluctantly than Bart.

"So, first things first." I said to Bart. "You think you can run with your hands at your..."

A draft of air to the left.

My hair going wild.

A draft of hair to the right.

My boots and belt were at my feet.

"...back?"

"I can manage." He grinned. "So, now can you show me how you put your own belt using your feet or what?"

I sighed, sitting at the floor. The boots were going to be tricky but possible. The belt... well... it was going to stay there in spite of Bart.

"Ok, then, Kid Flash..." I said while fighting the second boot. It was harder with one already on. "You know your part."

He knew it, and he did it.

He was back even before Wondergirl lost her patience with me and my boots.

"He has moved the altar." He said, in this kind of way he had of telling things as if everybody knew what he was talking about.

Wondergirl and I, for one, didn't understand a thing.

"What do you mean... '_moved the altar'_?"

He told us.

Aparently, the altar was in a kind of platform that could be lifted to the roof of the buildings, where the solar pannels were. And Harm was there, with Superboy, filling the goblet with some liquid and reading from a very big and weird book.

"Did you see the staff?"

"Or the dagger?"

"The dagger was in his belt, and the staff was in the altar." He answered, indicating with his tone that _of course he had seen them. What was he, stupid?_ "He's placed it in a way it's recieving all the solar rays at once."

Of course. Why did he want a solar plant for if not so? He needed all the power he could gather to mantain the force field, our handcuffing, Superboy unconsciousness and, specially, the charade that was going to fool the goblet to gave him a body that was not his.

The easy part of the plan ended here.

The daredevil, stupid, crazy and dificult part was ready to begin.

And it was all really up to Bart, because, if he failed, the rest was rubbish.

But he was not going to fail. He never failed. He would take strange detours sometimes, but he never missed the point.

So he left, leaving me and Cassie alone again.

But we were not going to stay toghether. Given our actual situation, I was just going to delay her. We had talked about it already.

"Tim, promise me it's going to be all right." She said, gathering herself toghether before starting off. "Tell me you trust your plan."

"I don't trust my plan, Cass, I trust you and Bart."

She kissed me on the cheeck.

"I just wanted to say that I love you, Tim, no matter how any times you make me mad."

It felt strangely bitter, as if she was saying goodbye. The moment she began telling me that she was proud of me and it was not my fault I was going to start shouting.

"But you love someone much more than you love me, and you don't have time to loose if you want to save him."

"Aren't you tired of being _always_ right?" She said, mockingly.

Then she flew away and up.

Sure, she didn't had her arms, but her shoulders, back and head were equally strong and, when she was focused and determined she was able to move mountains. Let alone make big holes in the roof, making her own way to the altar.

And me?

I was going to walk and look for some stairs while I waited for Bart to suceed.


	12. Chapter 12

XII.-

As I've been told later, things went, more or less, that way:

When Bart got to the roof, dashing as only he could dash, Harm was, aparently, finishing his incantations. Or whatever. Mumbling in Pope's language, as Kid Flash put it. Ignoring Harm, he aimed for the staff.

_"Don't hold it. Just kick it hard and disappear. We want him distracted. Upset him but don't make him mad."_

And as soon as Bart kicked the staff, sending it across the roof, far from the altar and Harm's reach, and, more importantly, far from the solar rays, our arms were free again.

Kid Flash was gone before Harm could spot him, which was Cassie's cue to appear, all her beautiful fury shining like fire, piercing the roof and aiming directly for Harms head.

And I could just imagine half of it when my bounds dispelled, leaving my arms hurt and numb. It was really painful to recover their movility and blood flux and I longed for a hot tub while I climbed up an emergency stair.

Suddenly, when I was going to open a trap door, Bart's blurry face showed through it, focussing as he stopped.

"Hey, Rob, fancy a lift?"

And before I could answer he had grabbed me by the collar and pulled me all the way up to the roof. I would have liked to ask him a lot of questions, but half of them were answered as soon as we stopped behind a solar pannel, at the roof. The bright sun over our heads, some bangs and explosions to our right...

Nice sound of battle against evil.

I peered from behind the pannel.

Wondergirl was not fighting alone. Without the magic of the staff, the barrier had dropped and Superboy had woke up, so the Titans, toghether, were giving him a hard time.

"That's going great." I muttered.

"Yes, it's even better than I suspected." Agreed Bart. "I think we can beat him for good this time. So... if you don't want to carry on with this..."

I grinned.

"Oh, like hell I want to."

"But..."

"Just tell me were the staff went, Kid Flash, and go help the others. Leave it to me. As you said, we can beat him for good this time... and we are going to do it."

He looked at me silently for a while, but I was not going to back down now. So he sighed, taking me to the staff, and then he darted to the fight. At this very moment Harm seemed to be in a little mess, Cyborg punching him straight in the head and Starfire sending him a sun empowered ray. Harm had drawn the dagger, but, apart from a pair of lashes in Wondergirl's arm, he seemed to had done very little... well... harm.

He was outnumbered and outpowered.

So I didn't have much time to loose before he decided the battle was lost and either disappeared or tried to burn down the entire place.

I took off my cape and covered the staff with it, taking it with me. Then, while everybody else was busy punching, shouting, kicking and, eventually, being hit, I sneaked to the altar. I was good at that. Sneaking, I mean. I was the freaking sneaking King.

The goblet, still full with a golden liquid, awaited there. And the book. Did I really had the time for a quick reading? I flicked through it, with a frown. Latin... At least it was not viking. It was a kind of how-to handbook, so I had a look at the last pages, figuring out what I didn't understand.

I took the goblet with one hand and then went for my pocket, to look for my secret weapon... when someone caught me by the arm, stopping me.

"Robin, what do you think you are doing?"

Superboy was looking at me, concern written all over his frown.

I freed myself, realizing I was, all of a sudden, the center of all attention. Harm's furious eyes pierced me as if he wanted to kill me, what was most propably his thought.

"Con," I managed to say between my teeth. "you have to distract him."

"No, Tim, you made me promise something and I'm going to..."

"Not. Now. Please."

He hesitated, as the rest of the Titans, and Harm just turn into mist, vanishing from the escene.

Fuck! I just had lost my opportunity because of Conner. I was going to...

Harm reapeared behind Superboy, the dagger in his neck, menacingly.

"If any of you move a muscle I will make him a nice new tie."

Bart and Cassie stopped as if struck by a magic ray, so did the rest of the Titans, suspecting something was terribly wrong. Conner felt it too, because he went pale.

"Ha! A copper dagger surely can't..."

Harm pressed tighter, making a little cut. A few dropping of blood were evidence enough to show he was not bluffing.

I grimaced, brain racing again. I still had the goblet, I still had the staff. It was now or never...

"Harm...we can make a deal..." I said, unfolding the staff.

It shone, golden and bright. I could feel it's power through my arm. It was... wow! I breathed deeply.

He smiled.

"It's intense, isn't it? Ok, Boy Wonder. You give me the staff and I give you your friend."

"You first."

"No, Robin! No way!" Ordered Conner.

Harm pressed again, shutting him up.

"_You_ first, birdie."

"At the count of three. And don't cheat.. or else." I added, menancingly.

"Ok. Can you count, sweetie?" He asked, looking at Cassie.

She growled, scowling both of us.

She counted nontheless.

"One... two...three!"

He tossed Superboy while I handed him the staff.

He began laughing manically, holding up the staff, letting it catch all the sun.

"Stupid! Now I have all the power again!"

I smiled.

"Flash Kid, please."

Before Harm could be alarmed I had the staff in my hands again.

"No! You cheated!" He turned to me, growing a few inches out of anger.

"In fact, no. I handed it over, didn't I?"

He tried to jump to me, but one of Kory's blast send him sprawling on the floor.

"Now, if you have a plan, Robin, it's the time." Said Victor as he ran past me, heading to the furious ghost.

I nodded, taking out a dead rat from my pocket and placing it on the altar.

I threw up my arm, Sekhmet's arm power running through it. I somehow knew how to make it all work. So I made an image in my mind and read from the book. I felt as if my words were echoing through all the valley, empowered by the staff. And then I poured the golden liquid, Idhunn's honey, over the dead rat.

I heard Harm screaming while he disapeared, his misty form dragged by some magic force inside the tiny body. He mouthed curses for me and my entire lineage, but, ultimately, his voice was lost and the furry body began stirring and twitching.

I caught him by the tail.

"Gotcha!"

I turned, smiling, feeling really proud of myself, but all my friends were just staring at me in silence. A really heavy, dense and uncomfortable silence.


	13. Chapter 13

XIII.-

"He is... inside the rat?" Asked Beast Boy finally, breaking the silence.

I looked at the rodent and then at them.

"Er... Yes?"

"You know how creepy is that!" Gar shuddered really violently. "I can't imagine how he can feel inside that tiny little body... Wait. I can." He said, turning into a rat. "Not that bad."

This was the cue for all of us to laugh and relax.

Victor came to me and patted me on the back, nearly making me to face downwards. Then came the rest of greets and cheers, and Raven even kind of smiled my way.

So.. I was cleared?

"OK, we have finished here." Anounced Cyborg. "Let's go back to the jet. We should make a report and decide what to do with those magical items."

I looked at the goblet and the staff laying over the altar.

What to do with them?

I let the others carry them while I distracted myself with Harm.

"Yo, Billy... and what we do with _you_?"

Bart came round me.

"Can we keep him, please? We don't have a pet."

"We do." Said Speedy, coming too. "We have Gar."

The changeling and the speedster eyed her.

"Come on, Rob. Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease."

Harm was struggling in my grip frantically, trying to bit me and get free.

I moved my head in disagreement.

"No, I think this is cage enough."

And I let him on the floor, where he scurried off.

I felt kind of bad while he disappeared through a hole in the wall, because he was not used at being a rat and rats had lots of predators... And at best he was going to last.. What? One more year? Rats life span was really short.

Did it count as if I had killed him? Better not to think of it. Con was right. I just thought too much most of the time.

So, to get rid of that thoughs I turned to my friends.

Somehow, while I was watching Harm get free, Conner had managed to send the others away to stay alone with me.

"What...?"

He showed me the goblet.

"Hold it." He said.

"Con... I..."

My entrails burned.

He shoved it to me, so I took a step backwards.

"Superboy... you promised..."

"I know what I promised, Tim."

I gulped, stretching my arms, holding the cup.

Moments before, when I had used it to trap Harm into a rodent corpse, it had been just a tool. Now it was... real.

"Do you want me to destroy, Rob?"

I closed my eyes.

"No."

The air itself went hot and dense. I heard him swallow and take a step, hesitating.

I sighed, opening my eyes, handing the goblet to him.

"Don't destroy it. It's not necessary." I clenched my fist as soon as he took the cup. "I miss them, I miss them like hell... but magic it's not the answer."

He smiled and then he smashed the cup.

"Con! I said it was not..."

"I know. And I'm happy. But it was dangerous just the same."

I smiled back, sadly and bitterly. I felt like crying. I felt like hugging him. I felt like shit.

"Now let's make up something to tell Cyborg about it." I said.

His smile froze.

"I'm not comming, Rob."

Mine stood there, just because I was a better actor.

"I had guessed."

"The crisis is over and I'm not a Titan anymore."

"You will always be a Titan."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah."

"Are you mad?" He asked gingerly.

"It won't change a thing so, why do you care?"

"You are mad." Now he was stating.

"Just go while I still feel grateful and don't spoil the moment, will you?"

He nodded and flew again, leaving me alone with the knot in my intestines and the enormous responsibilty of explaining the Titans that he hadn't stayed.

If I just could hate him life would be so much easier to bear.


	14. Epilogue

**Epilogue.-**

The night was warm and heavy in Blüdhaven. It figured. Fresh air was not allowed in hell.

_Way to go, Tim._

As if depressive metaphores were going to help me.

I sat at the edge of the building, watching the city that lay at my feet. I was suposed to protect them... It was scary, come to think of it.

I heard someone landing behind me.

Superboy.

He needed to learn a little subtlety.

"Hi." I said, not turning.

He sat besides me, his bulkier frame shadowing mine.

"I still have to learn to do that."

"You still had to learn not to move like a mamooth."

Con grunted, but I could tell he was not angry, only terribly anxious.

So we sat there, silent, contemplating the city lights. It was just a few seconds, but it gave us the courage to spoke.

"You wanted to talk." He said, finally.

"I think we have to. If not for our friendship, for my own sanity."

"Ok. You've done it. Now you have scared me. Why can't you talk like normal people?"

"I misstook the thessaurus for a novel when I was a child." I joked. Sometimes joking was as good a shield as kevlar.

"Funny, man. Really funny. Don't play jackass with me, ok? I'm really worried, so, seriously..."

"Seriously?" I swinged my feet, looking for words. "Seriously... It can take some time. My thoughts are mixed with my feelings, with my own subjective and twisted perception of the matter."

Con shivered.

"You sound like a psycologist." He looked at me with a frown and a grimace that was not a smile, not at all. "Don't tell me you are analizing yourself... Just don't tell me."

"I won't. But belive me, theory is easier than practice."

"That's just..." He snorted, flailing his arms, giving up. I thanked him for chewing up the word '_nuts'_. "Just... go on, ok?"

"I will. I'll try." I sighed. "I'm aware you must have figured most of it out, but still..."

"It's about your dad's death..."

"Yes. And not. It's about the dead, and it's about the ones still alive. It's about having lost a lot in so short a notice that I..." My voice craked and I stopped, sucking in a deep bearth. "Stephanie died.. And then Dad... And Nightwing just left...And next time I check you are gone too! And I don't want to belive you will come back because you are taking an awful amount of time to make your mind! And I feel alone... No. I **_AM_** alone. What I feel is abandoned... rejected..."

"But that's not..."

"I _know_, ok! Do you think I don't fucking know that's not so!" Suddenly I had raised my voice, my hands in my head, trying to pull thouse thoughts out of my brain, out of my soul. "I know Nightwing has his own problems to deal with! Fuck! I'm well aware Dad didn't die on purpouse!" I crouched, hiding my head down my knees. "But I just can't rationalize this awful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I just can't! And I'm alone. I'm so alone..."

Silence fell after my outburst.

Hell!

I hated silence.

"Sorry." Came finally from Conner lips in a nearly mute murmur. "I didn't knew. You were acting so confident, so strong..."

I kept my head between my knees, trembling. It was cold all of a sudden.

"Con..."

"Yes?"

"Can you please shut up and hug me before I end up crying and embarrassing the both of us?"

His arms folded around me, giving me a warmth I thought I had lost forever. There, soothed by human contact, I gathered myself.

I had begun opening myself.

I had to finish.

"Aren't you going to ask?" I said, still not moving away from him.

"Ask what?"

"Why? Why I moved to Blüdahaven. If I felt so lonely... why I moved?"

"Er... well... now that you mention..."

"Truth is... I don't know, and that scares the shit out off me."

He let go of me, searching my eyes, but I couldn't look into his.

"You say you are scared of Luthor's genes, that you are afraid of not becoming Superman. Well..." I snorted half a laugh. "I'm afraid of becoming Batman."

"You mean..."

"It's been haunting me, Con, since we were there. My future self..."

"That jerk was not you, now matter how we look at it!" He snapped, angrily. "And cyborg... well, future Cyborg, said that, if we stick toghether it's not going to happen."

"Are we sticking toghether? Really?" I finally looked at him.

"Er... well... I..."

"No, we are not. And perhaps it's for the best."

"What? Why you..."

I stood up, wrapping myself up with my cape, fighting the cold.

"When we were there I asked you... well, him, Superman... what had happened to him, what have turned him into..._ that."_

"Well, obviously, _Luthor."_ He nearly spat the word.

"That was not his answer."

"No? What did he...?"

"'_You, did'_"

"No, not me. HIM, ok? I'm not going to be him."

I chuckled, even if my heart was on my throat.

"No, you dumb. He said: '_you did'_. This meaning... _me_."

"You?"

"Yes, me. He implied I was the one that turned him... YOU! That turned you into a monster. And I dont' want to do it. I don't want to turn you into a monster... but I don't want to let go of you either. You are my best friend!"

Con frowned, looking up at the starless sky of the city.

"You once said you won't let me became Luthor... Well, if I ever see you stepping a little too far, I promise to break your jaw."

I was looking at my feet.

"Promise me you'll do it even if I step over the line and we'll have a deal."

He passed his arm over my shoulders, brushing my hair.

"Deal. But just don't get all girly and moppy just because I'm so charming it hurts."

"Don't worry. You are not."

But still he held me a little longer and I let him protect me from all harm. It felt good.

"You know I'm still not ready to come to the tower, though." He said, finally.

"Yes, I know." I admited.

"But it does not mean I can't come to Blüdhaven every now and then. You can help me with my boring homework and I can help you... er... do whatever you do here every night."

"Fighting mad men that want the price the Penguin has put over my head?"

"Er..."

I smiled.

"Don't worry, Con. It sounds just great if it's just your homework."

"No, wait. I have a better idea! Once a week Timmy Drake and his best pal from Kansas, Conner Kent, can go to the movies. Or perhaps to the arcade... or to all those cool things I cannot do in Cowvile."

"It sounds even greater."

"Of course, it's my idea." He beamed, his eyes bright with inspiration. "Oh, oh, oh!" He waved his arms. "And even _better_! There's a Spring Break in just a few weeks. We can go to the beach! We can tell Bart, too! And Cassie!" He paused. "Although you want it to be a boys only thing... which will be allright to me..."

"We can tell Cassie too."

He grinned, blushing.

"And we can also tell Anita, Cissie and Greta." I added, carried away.

"Oh, yes, she will _love_ to see you."

Now I was the one blushing, trying to kill him with a stare.

"Don't be absurd."

"You know she was head over heels for you."

"She was not! And even if she was..."

"Ok. Ok. I won't touch the subject, promised. So... Can I plan it? A spring break for old Young Justice?"

"All yours. But you better plan it smoothly. Last time I went to the beach with a friend I ended up in the Himalaya, fighting yeties."

He looked at me, deciding if I was fooling him or not.

I grinned. I wansn't.

"I cannot promise you yeties, but I think bigfoot's fare is not very high." He said, grinning too.

And that washed the loneliness away.

I didn't know how long it will last, but damn me if I cared at that very moment.

We were still scared of the future, of course, but.. in fact... are not all teenagers scared of it?


End file.
